Zambia and Russia have commenced discussions over the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, to get the Russian vaccine once it is confirmed to be useful. 

Health ministers of both Zambia and Russia have started talks to attain the vaccine to the pandemic that has been spreading fast. 

Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia, Shadreck Luwita said, "The Russian government has already exchanged correspondence with the Zambian government regarding rolling out of this vaccine. We are anxiously following the process of rolling out of the Sputnik V vaccine on the market so that we can access it.”

Russia’s Sputnik V started being promoted before the end of the third phase of clinical trials. The Zambia ambassador confirmed to Sputnik that, “The two ministries of health are liaising on this matter.” 

Luwita continued, “That's why the issue of the vaccine is crucial, as it will unlock everything, which has come to a standstill,” referring to problems in scheduling meetings. 

To date, Zambia has had over 16,000 coronavirus cases, resulting in 349 deaths, the World Health Organization stated. 

At the start of the week, Pfizer Inc and BioNTech said that their vaccine is 90% effective. However, the Russian developers said that their COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective.